What Is Home Schooling?
Home schooling is where parents or guardians choose to take their children out of the education system and take on the role of teachers themselves.
There are many reasons for choosing to do this, such as:
- Low confidence in the school system
- Intolerable behaviour such as bullying and persecution
- Illness that may prevent the child from attending school in the long term
- Lack of suitable provision and support for Special Education Needs
- Short-term intervention required, whilst processes are reviewed
- Many countries have poor access to education and leaves home schooling as the only option
Many children can find themselves in a situation where it is not viable to attend a conventional school, and it is down to parents/guardians to source sufficient teaching materials to ensure that as little disruption is available as possible.
Sourcing enough resources is probably going to be the most difficult part and there are various options.
The internet provides a plethora of information with one quick google search but may not always be quite what you are looking for and may give you a list of useful information that is not necessarily relevant. With care and good judgement, this can help.
In order to make the process easier, you can outsource learning to a provider of online courses. However, you should always be aware that this is not just a case of sitting your child down in front of a computer and leaving them to get on with it, supervision and help should be available at all times.
How Can I Keep My Child Motivated?
When studying autonomously, motivation is always going to be a concern as it’s too easy to drift off into a daydream when you have been sat studying Pythagoras theorem for an hour and there is a squirrel outside the window doing tricks with the bird feeder. Not surprisingly focus can wane a little and you somehow need to get yourself back on track.
In a conventional school setting, children would be surrounded by their peers and more interaction would happen amongst each other, leading to discussions and views. Teachers would praise positive interaction, and this is something that you as a parent/teacher must also be able to do. Learners thrive in the knowledge that they have been able to contribute to their lessons and this sparks further curiosity in the learning process.
Try to make lessons as engaging as possible. You don’t always have to use the conventional methods; you may find that sometimes field work can explain concepts better, such as why leaves fall off trees in the winter or the process that tadpoles work through before turning into frogs. Visit parks and wooded areas where nature explains itself.
Children are like sponges when they read books and absorb information easily, so always have books readily available. These don’t have to be books about learning a specific subject, they can involve stories of real-life experiences that also educate.
Who didn’t enjoy carrying out experiments at school? Create your own laboratory setting where your child can observe scientific principles in action and take part, creating motivation for the next lesson. BBC Bitesize is a wonderful tool for providing ideas.
Arts and crafts can also be a great source of learning. Allow your child to create a model of an erupting volcano, explaining how lava emerges or paint a scene from the Battle of Hastings. This can lead on to further discussions such as William the Conqueror’s victory.
Turn role play into a scene from Shakespeare’s Macbeth or the creation of Britain’s first television transmitter by John Logie Baird. Engaging in role play will help learners remember the facts.
Allowing Interaction
Transferring some of the ownership of lesson planning to your child gives independence and helps them learn how to prioritise studies. They can choose to have easier sessions sometimes but know they are going to have to work harder in other sessions to catch up. This can help time management skills and will be used way beyond home schooling.
Who better knows the teaching style that suits than the child studying. Allow them to choose materials and resources they feel more comfortable with. E.g., some find that reading materials are better suited whilst others prefer to watch video tutorials with pdf handouts. This will help to ensure that learning is always engaging.
Goal planning can be another area where ownership could be handed over. Learning to set own goals can help in the learning process and leads to accountability. What better way to learn your own personal capabilities.
Use of a Rewards Scheme
Providing rewards for good work can come in many forms:
First and foremost, praise should be at the top of the list, recognising effort that has been put in rather than results.
Create a chart where points or badges can be used to ensure that achievements are recognised and displayed to provide further motivation.
Allow privileges such as screen time, favourite meals, sports time. This will show positive reinforcement and a sense of achievement.
Trips out could provide further rewards, such as trips to the zoo, ice skating or a football match for example. Something that is special to your child.
Before long, rewards will be phased out as motivation naturally takes over and a pattern will be formed.
Try Not To Overwhelm
Too much too soon can be overwhelming so try to take small steps and break everything up into manageable content. As long as everything is understood, it doesn’t matter if it takes a little longer to learn.
Essay writing can be broken up into an introduction first, followed by the body of the essay and finishing with the conclusion. Encouraging your child to make notes beforehand, listing all the important points, will make it easier when putting the body of the essay together.
Play Time
Don’t overload schedules so that there is no time for play, this is important in order to set a balance in your child’s life. Children need down time and you will find that they are more motivated after they have had some fun.
Encourage socialising with friends and other home schooled children that have an affinity with them. Find local groups in your area, by searching on google or using online tools such as ‘Educational Freedom’. They can provide support for parents, so remember you are not alone.
Also allow quiet time, giving children the opportunity to recharge. This can be by listening to music, doing art, reading or just sitting quietly. It is their choice.
Finally
All in all, home schooling doesn’t have to be a second best option and children can still receive the best education possible but structure must be put in place and a school/life balance considered.
